A retail giant departs from the constraints of the shoebox layout and takes inspiration from the wide plaza complex
SM Lanang Premier is unlike any other SM mall. The four-storey shopping mall in Davao City is the third mall Visionarch designed in the high-density metropolis. We took inspiration from the idea of the plaza complex and carved out a void at the center of the building block—an expansive skylight-covered atrium around which shops and restaurants are oriented.
We see this atrium as a modern public square, a cool and comfortable place people can meet and hang out. Its sparseness and neutral tones is a deliberate design decision that allows it to be dressed up for any occasion, event, or activity. It could be a movie set one day, a pop-up food hall on another, or even a carnival one day.
While the predictable layouts of SM malls in the past are easy to navigate, we discovered people are likely to spend more time exploring the mall if the paths of travel flirt with their imagination diverting them to other spaces that would reward them with an unexpected experience. It’s the reason we placed a hallway at the back of the atrium that draws people into an outdoor area overlooking a long dancing fountain that lights up the night.
"People are likely to spend more time exploring the mall if the paths of travel flirt with their imagination diverting them to spaces that would reward them with an unexpected experience."
